Draw-gear and buffing apparatus.



J. F. MILLER.

DBAWGEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION nun 920,30, 1908. Y

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. MILLER, OF EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAW-GEAR AND BUFFING APPARATUS.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Miriam, a citizen of the United States, residing at l ldgewood, in the county of Alleghcnv and State of .leunsyl ania, have invented new and useful improvements in Draw-Gear and liulling Apparatus, of which the follow ing is a specification Th s invention relates to friction drat't {gear employed on rail 'ays ears, as well known, for the purpose f taking up and absorbing; shocks and strains due to draft, and balling.

In modern car construction. where steel center sills are employed, the friction draft gear mechanism is necessarily located between the sillsr The space available for the draft gen r is therefore more or less confined. and the gear parts, part cularly the spring mechanism, must be limited in size to eorrcs 'iond with this space.

It has heretofore been propo ed to locate the friction elements of the draft ear bctween the sills, formerly. but to dispose the spring mechanism outside or eXte-riorly of the sills, so that ordinal-v springs of sulr stantially anv desired size could be eiuplored for the spring mechanism, while also rendering the mechanism accessible for inspection and repairs, such as replacement of pi'iuQfs in (use of breakage and the liile. 'i .i: pri r coiistr n'lion. however. necessitated iitllli'lg the in order to proiiiie openings lll'' b;fll which the swing mechanism could he minar t-vii to the friction clemel r to av d this umhw raiile lotting ii th sil one f ature of my inv ntion e n aeinplai inierpos iisr a iucchanieai omm? lion. such a lever nit 'lifllllviii, for cXai ple. lttween the friction filt'kt' fltflllifi fii the dral't war and the spring: m chanu so that the spring mechanism use}; be located below or n any desired position o'a-itsiiie of the. center sills without n erring: th lls to ronnrrt the spring nieehanisn'a rith the frietion eiem uts.

l'lther ob iects and adventn will be here" inafter noted in the more detailed description of my improvement.

in the accompanying: drawing, F gure l. is 3 mp plan View, partly in section, of a friction draft gear embodying niv invention: Fig. .2 a transverse section thereof on the line air-a of Fig. 1; Figw 8 a side crew of one of the connecting levers; and. Fig. 4 a

detail View of one of the spring bearing washers.

As shown in the drawing, a draw-bar 1 provided with yoke 2 is mounted between center sills 3, 3 of a railway car and is adapted to more longitudinally, the yoke 2 being supported upon cross bars 4, 4 secured. to the under side of the center sills 3, 3. \Vithin the. yoke is carried the friction mechanism comprising laterally movable opposed friction blocks 5, each provided with oppositely inclined friction surfaces (3, 6 adapted to frictionally engage longtud nally movable wedge blocks. The wedge blocks are preferably made up of main cast ings 7, 7 having oppositely concaved surfaces forming bearings for frict on strips 8, 8 so that the strips 8, 8 mar rock on said concared surfaces. These strips hae friction faces adapted to bear on the friction surfaces of the wedge blocks 5, 5 and the rocltinfl movement of the strips on the concave bearing surfaces perm t the frict on faces thereof to autom ticallv adiust them selves to the corresponding friction surface of the friction blocks 5, 5, as will be appa rent. The main wedge cast ngs 7. 7 eX- tend inwardly between the friction blocks .7. 5 and therebv lim t the relati e long tudinal movement as desired aeemd ne to the amount of space left between the extended portions of the oppo=itc Wedge: castings.

The outward longitudinal movement of the, main wedge castings is limited by steps or ahutnieuts 9, 9, suitably secured to the center sills at the outer sides of the castings. The yielding resistance mechanism may commie-1c coil springs 10, 10 extend ng out lat;- ernlly on each side of the center sills and car-- ricd y a bolt 11 having a nutlQ on each opposite curl for adjusting the tension of the Springs as desired. The springs act on the friction blocks 5, 5 through levers 13, 13 each provided at an intermediate point with convex rounded projecting portion 14 {Hill adapted to bear and have a rocking movemeat in corresponding recesses in the friction blocks 5, the upper ends of the levers '13. being; connected together by a link 15 and the lower end" having semi-eircular recesses Within which co responding rocker segments 17, 17 of hearing washers 16, 16 engage, the bearing washers being adapted to engage the inner ends of the coil swings it), 10. iVith this construction the spring mechanism is carried by and moves longitudinally with the friction blocks 5, 5, so that in the draft and bufiing movements of the parts, one of the wedge block members being held against longitudinal movement by the corresponding pair of sto s 9, 9, the movement of the other wedge b ock forces the opposite friction blocks 5, 5 apart laterally, the blocks riding up on the inclined faces of both airs of friction strips 8, 8, thus utilizing the friction surfaces of all the elements when the gear is in action. The lateral movement of the friction blocks 5, 5 is transmitted to the spring mechanism through the levers 13, 13, so that the springs 10, 10 are compressed and thereby act to resist or oppose the movement of the friction elements. This construction permits of a spring movement greater than the corresponding movement of the friction elements and with the spring arm of the levers longer than the link arm, as shown in the drawing, the movement of the springs is more than double the movement of the friction elements. The effective resistance of the springs to the movement of the friction elements is thus increased, so that for a given desired resistance lighter springs may be employed as compared to direct acting sprlngs.

It will now be evident that the present construction obviates the necessit for slotting the centcr sills of the car while possessing the advantages of the outside hung spring mechanism.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a friction draft gear, the combination with longitudinally movable friction blocks and cooperating laterally movable friction blocks dis osed between the center sills of the car, of a transversely arranged spring located below and extending horizontally beyond the sides of the car sills, and a lever mechanism for transmitting the lat- 'eral thrust ofthe friction blocks "to said spring.

2. In a friction draft gear, the combination with longitudinally movable friction blocks and cooperatin' laterally movable friction blocks dispose between the center sills of the car, of a pair of transversely arranged s rings located below and extending beyond t e sides of the car sills, and mechanism for transmitting the lateral thrust of the friction blocks to said springs.

3. In a friction draft gear, the combina tion with longitudinally movable wedge blocks and opposite laterally movable friction blocks disposed between the center sills of the car, of levers engaging said friction blocks and extending below the sills, and transverse s rin s opposing the outward movement 0' sai levers below the sills and extending beyond the sides of the sills.

4. In a frlction draft gear, the combination with longitudinally movable Wedge blocks and opposite laterally movable friction blocks dlsposed between the center sills of the car, of levers engaging said friction blocks and extending below the sills, a link connecting the tops of said levers, and a transversely arranged spring device connecting the lower ends of said levers below the car sills.

5. In a friction draft gear, the combination with a longitudinally movable friction element comprising a main block having a curved seat and a strip provided with a cor- IBSPOIldlIlg surface engagin said seat, and having an inclined frictiona face, of a laterally movable friction element having a cooperating frictional face, and a spring opposing the movement of said friction elements. I

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand.

. JOHN F. MILLER. Witnesses:

WM. M. CADY,

A. M. CLEMENTS. 

